Canadiens News

Bulldogs report - Dec. 2, 2009

by
Staff Writer
/ Montréal Canadiens

Brandon Taylor/ProamImages

Cedrick Desjardins

MONTREAL - The goaltender is the cornerstone of the team. While the offense rests on the shoulders of a dozen different players, what goes on in the crease is the task of one man who must be at his best night after night.

It is the best of scenarios when an organization can count on two goaltenders who combine both experience and youth in offering top notch performances. It was in this joint fashion that both Bulldogs' goalies accomplished the feat of totally shutting out the opposition in recent consecutive games.

In fact, going back to the 2005-06 campaign, Bulldogs' goalies have shut out opposing foes just once in back to back games. The exploit goes back to late last season, when Cedrick Desjardins blanked both the Toronto Marlies and the Syracuse Crunch in March 2009.

Last weekend saw the Bulldogs pull off a similar feat, as Hamilton not only played two games in two nights, they also faced the same adversary, the Lowell Lock Monsters, twice within 48 hours. It was Curtis Sandford who started in goal on November 27, turning away 16 scoring chances from the opposition before giving way to Desjardins prior to the third period. The latter blocked all eight chances directed his way, as offensively, Guy Boucher's troops counted four goals in the win. The following night, the coach placed his faith in Desjardins once more.

The 24-year-old stopper then picked up right where he had left off. Offering another perfect performance, Desjardins pushed away 32 Monsters' chances, all the while earning the game's first star. At the opposite end of the rink, Lowell's Trevor Cann was beaten three times in the space of 3:08, succumbing to shots from David Desharnais, Ryan Russell and Brock Trotter, who coincidently all scored their fifth goals of the season on the plays. The game goes into the record books as the 500th win in Bulldogs' franchise history.

It's surely one special occasion that Desjardins will remember as well.